


Lunar Orbit

by omnenomnom



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Angst, Drifter Luna, F/M, Gen, Luna-isms, Self-Discovery, Side Story, Werewolf, minimal angst, world building
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-10
Updated: 2021-03-10
Packaged: 2021-03-16 14:15:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,604
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29951202
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/omnenomnom/pseuds/omnenomnom
Summary: Bitten during the battle of Hogwarts, Luna finds herself adrift in a world that never really understood her in the first place. She sets off into the great unknown, curious to find where she belongs. The path home is long and winding, but she has never been one to walk a straight line anyway.
Comments: 1
Kudos: 4
Collections: Midnight Moonrise Fest 2021





	Lunar Orbit

**Author's Note:**

> This is a connection piece to the Moon Struck verse. If you are awaiting the next chapter for that with baited breath, don't read this yet. (I'll post in the main fic with a link when it's time.)
> 
> My only prompt for this piece for the fest was to sneak 'oblivation' in here somewhere.
> 
> Beta'd by the lovely Amebb42

Luna limped into the Forbidden Forest, taking shelter in the coverage of the trees. The fighting had died down and she heard what could only be the cries of victory. She smiled to herself as she leaned against a trunk, just past the tree line. Slowly Hogwarts lit up, like fairies being coaxed awake for spring.

_ Moon Child? _

The gravely sound rolled over her, catching her fluttering heart in a wave of calm. She turned to smile weakly at the matriarch of the last wolf pack in Scotland. Katya was stunning, her fur a speckling of tan, white, and black that helped her blend into the trees around them. Luna knew from experience it was rough on the tips but the soft undercoat was warm and fluffy when she dug her hands into it. She was about the size of a large deer, and while her teeth gleamed in the moonlight, Luna felt no fear.

“Hello, Katya. I think it’s over now. Did all of you make it through okay?” Luna knew her voice sounded thready and weak. There was no point in trying to hide the pain that slithered just under the surface of her skin, too weak to act but too strong to ignore.

_ We did, due to your warning.  _ Katya’s voice tickled at her consciousness, the ancient magic of the wolves brushing across her mind as softly as a breath. It was rare they spoke to humans, but Luna had always been one to listen to things others would ignore.

“I’m glad. I was worried about the pups. Sana’s litter, right? I can’t wait to-” Luna hissed as a wave of pain drifted through her very bones before settling. 

_ You’ve been bitten, _ Katya growled, padding closer to Luna.  _ By one of the Cursed. _

Luna smiled sadly and presented her bloodied thigh for the wolf to sniff. There was no point in hiding it, not that she would ever lie to her friends. Katya whined for her, lapping at the injury until the bleeding stopped. Even so, Luna could still feel the disease clawing at her veins.

“I didn’t want to be up there,” Luna said. “In case I turned.”

_ You will turn. But not as you are, it is too soon. _

“That’s a shame,” Luna whimpered as another wave of pain crested and ebbed. “It hurts so much. It will be a long night I suppose.”

Her adrenaline finally gave out and her already shaking legs collapsed, dropping her on the forest floor with a sob. She whimpered at the feeling of the damp leaves beneath her, cooling her burning skin. Katya watched her, occasionally whining when a painful wave overtook Luna until she was forced to scream.

“I-it’s alright Katya,” Luna panted after a particularly bad one that had her wishing she could just pass out. “Really, it’s… it’s not that bad. I’m fi-”

The next wave came quicker, barely giving her a chance to breath as she clawed at her new injury, undoing the delicate work Katya had taken to clean it. She would have to apologize to the wolf later.

When this one let go Katya stood patiently waiting for her, but she was not alone. Luna’s eyes shot around the area, taking in the hidden watchers in the grim. The pack was here and they were waiting.

_ Moon Child, you have always been kind to us, _ Katya growled. 

“And you have always been kind to me,” Luna responded, fondly remembering the comfort of the wolves in her first year when she had run from some particularly cruel words said in Ravenclaw tower. Katya wasn’t the Alpha then, but when she found Luna crying she still accepted and comforted her all the same.

_ We cannot fix this. The curse of our ancestors had infected you. Next moon you will turn. _

“That’s alright,” Luna wheezed through the pain. “The ministry has a place for… people like me.”

_ We have heard the howls of those trapped within,  _ Adiar growled harshly. Katya’s mate was large and more than a bit terrifying. His presence in her mind was like a crashing wave, insistent and unstoppable.  _ You will not go. _

“I can’t-...I have to go there. If I don’t, I could hurt someone else. I don’t want to hurt anyone.”

_ We will send out the call, _ Katya growled.  _ You have protected the pack Moon Child, but it is time you find your own. I can push the disease forward and give you the peace of running with us tonight. But then you will need to leave, and find your own place in the world. _

“Can I still come see you?” Luna asked fearfully. “As a human?”

_ You will no longer  _ **_be_ ** _ human Moon Child, _ Adair snarled.  _ But when you are not wolf, you may run with the pack. _

“Alright then,” Luna whimpered. “If you can keep me here, go ahead.”

Katya nodded, padding forward silently. She was such a creature of the forest that even the leaves didn’t rustle beneath her paws. Luna barley registered when Katya snapped forward, her jaws closing over the still seeping wound on Luna’s thigh.

Fire rushed through her veins, blurring out any other sense. All she could feel was her body... stretching, ripping, clawing. Then the sounds of her own screams until it all faded into nothingness.

000000000000000000000

Luna woke the next morning, terribly sore. She whimpered as she shifted against the dried leaves, surrounded by darkness. After a moment, a small furry creature pawed at her face, it’s eyes wide with mischief and her wand between its teeth. She smiled weakly at the pup, picking it up and scratching at its belly. It nipped at her and growled, before folding to her petting and letting her reclaim her wand.

Luna breathed in the warm scent of the den, suddenly aware of the trace presence of each of the wolves she had grown to love over the past years. Ionia, Sana, Anolan… they were all here, leaving their scent like tracks on the forest floor.

She maneuvered out of the den and set the young puppy down. It huffed in irritation before toddling off to play with it’s litter mates. Sana nodded at her, watching with cautious eyes as her wayward child returned to her.

_ Moon Child _ _ ,  _ Katya growled from the risen spot on top of the den.  _ You are well? _

“Mostly,” Luna answered, her hand ghosting over the tender but healing wound on her thigh. She could walk on it, but combined with her overall soreness she was glad she was a witch and didn’t need to hike out of the forest.

_ The calls have been answered. There is a village of your kind in the Black Forest. They will be expecting you. _

“Thank you Katya,” Luna responded softly. “I promise I will come visit soon.”

_ You are kind, little one. It hurts me that you are to live with this curse of suffering. _

“But I will live won’t I?” Luna asked with a bright smile. She limped a few steps away, clear of the pups and the other wolves watching her. “Until next time.”

_ May the moonlight bless your hunt. _

Luna disappeared with a crack, whining as her apparition pulled at her wound. Still, she landed on unsteady feet in the cosy kitchen of her childhood. Luna frowned at the patches that were scattered on the wall, she and Daddy had worked hard to rebuild it in secret after her escape from Malfoy Manor but it was still a work in progress.

More troubling was how different the house looked. The dishes were all stacked neatly in the cupboards and not in the sink where she liked them. The usually scattered projects that she left lying around the house were put away where she couldn’t see them if inspiration struck. Books were slotted strangely into shelves so that they lined up like little soldiers instead of propping up the coffee table or providing the plants with some entertainment.

Oh dear. Her father had been cleaning and he only did that when he was stressed. He was probably an absolute mess if the house was anything to go by.

Luna frowned and picked a random book of fairy tales off the shelf and set up upright and open on the table. She used her wand to move the ficus that was by the living room window for some reason, back into the center of the dinner table where it belonged. 

“Daddy?” Luna called cautiously up the stairs. She heard a crash from his bedroom and shoed-feet scrambling across the ceiling. That was a bad sign.

“Moonbeam?” Her father called out, nearly throwing himself over the railing. “You’re okay! You’re back!”

“Oh Daddy,” Luna cried. “Look at you. You’re a mess.”

Her father was indeed a mess. His hair was brushed back perfectly and tucked into a flawless knot at the base of his neck. Rather than his usual house robes, he was wearing the well fitting suit and waistcoat that must be older than Luna herself. His poor feet were trapped in shining leather dress shoes and usually present stubble was shaved clean.

“Luna!” he shouted as he charged down the stairs and gathered in his arms to spin her around. “I missed you so much. I was so worried that we had lost you!”

“I’m okay Daddy,” Luna whimpered as he irritated the wound in her leg. “I promise.”

Xenophillus took a step back, finding his daughter's legs and frowning. After a moment he blinked his eyes then threw his hand over his face to cover them.

“By Merlin Luna! You are nude. Is there a ritual I have forgotten about?!?”

“No no,” Luna laughed, summoning her robe and slipping it on. Once it was secure she tapped her father on the arm. “But, I have been bitten by a werewolf.”

“Oh Moonbeam,” Xeno frowned, holding her tightly again. “I am so sorry that I didn’t protect you.”

“It’s alright. You know Katya? From the Forbidden Forest pack?”

“Ah yes, how is she?”

“They made it through. I assume we won?”

“So I’ve been told. But it could just be the Genshis planting a dream in our heads.”

“Well that’s always a possibility,” Luna agreed before nodding sagely. “But we can’t just stop living our lives because of it. Remember when we tried?”

“Dreadfully boring,” Xeno agreed. He rested his hand on her cheek, smiling sadly at her. “What did Katya say?”

“There’s a place for people like me. In the Black Forest.”

“Luna...The  Schwarzwald is a dangerous place. I will be happy to keep you here.”

“But I  _ must _ go Daddy!” Luna insisted. “Think of the research! Who knows what I’ll find!?!”

“You’re so like your mother,” Xeno looked at his daughter and sighed, a tear slipping down his cheek. “When did you grow up so fast?”

“I grew up at just the same rate as everyone else,” Luna responded sweetly. “I’ll be okay. I promise.”

“Of course you will, my sweet, sweet girl,” he responded, pulling away. “Are you leaving now?”

“I think I would like to.”

“Alright, wait here.”

Luna did as she was told, summoning some clothes to change into and pack. She grabbed some of her most important trinkets as well. A music box her mother had made, the first article she had ever written on Nargles, a note Ginny had written her in class, her DA coin that called her to battle last night. They were all a part of her, and all important. While she was scurrying around the lower floor looking for a bag Xeno reappeared, holding a knapsack in his hand with tears in his eyes.

“Your mother made this for you,” Xeno choked out. “I was supposed to give it to you at Graduation so that you could go exploring for a few years but… well now seems as good as then.”

He handed over the knapsack, lovingly patched together from a variety of fabrics. Inside was expanded and included money, a tent, stasis pockets for food, and a variety of books on how to travel well. Luna withdrew one, tearing up to see her mother’s handwriting scrawled on the cover.

_ Shoot for your dreams, little girl, to the stars.  _

“You best go,” Xeno sniffed, holding his daughter tightly once more. “They’ve been looking for you and I imagine they won’t want to let you go. Even though I know you need to.”

“Thank you Daddy,” Luna wrapped her arms tightly around her father and squeezed once more. “I’ll come back one day.”

“Of course you will. Stay safe Moonbeam. And let the magic guide your way.”

00000000000000000

Luna plopped onto a bench in the back of the tavern tiredly. She spent her month roaming the world, collecting information on werewolves and packs. Now, the night before her second full moon, her bones ached beneath her skin. Even the plum wine she had found in the Far East was doing little to silence the feeling of sand tucked under her skin. But, while she was exhausted, her outlook on her future was not as bleak as when she had left England.

While British wizards saw the curse as a foul, dark magic that could only end in bloodshed, the rest of the world had different views. The Greeks saw it as divine punishment for those who have wronged. The Germans as a sacrifice to the gods, given willingly as a show of devotion. The Romans, a way to connect with the primal self, almost a transformative experiencing. The Turks, a skill only mastered by the most devoted of Shaman.

Now it was her turn to see what truth she believed.

She smelled him enter, his presence sweeping through the room easily. It was as if he commanded the air to move around him and it listened. Luna had grown used to the overpowering sense of smell she had gained as well as the disorientating night vision. Still this was something different. He smelled of power and ocean, strength and family. He was comfort and fear wrapped in one that soothed her sparking nerves. 

_ Hide. Danger. _ whispered that new voice inside her.  _ Wolf. _

She heeded the voice immediately. Luna shrank in her seat, wanting to appear as small and non-threatening as possible. Her eyes remained glued to the table even as he approached.

“Miss Lovegood I presume?” The man’s voice boomed, seeming to silence all sound in the room. Luna nodded her head softly. “You have good instincts and you heed them well.”

“I find that instinct typically tells us the truth we don’t want to hear, Sir.” 

_ Strong. Surrender. Respect. _

“You may look at me,” he responded, sliding into the seat across from her. “We don’t wear the fur yet.”

Her eyes shot up now that she was given permission, her natural curiosity winning out over the way her wolf was still cowering nervously. 

He was a very large man, barely able to squeeze into the booth. Dark hair, streaked with grey, was braided to fall down his back and adorned with beads. He smiled kindly, the gesture relaxing her further as he leaned back, letting her observe him. 

_ Strong. Leader. Alpha. _

“Hello,” she responded softly. “Thank you for meeting me.”

“The call sounded,” he responded, flashing a smile of brilliant white teeth. His accent was harsh sounding but not unkind. Hungarian perhaps.“We answered.”

Luna nodded, unsure of which questions to ask him. There was so much she needed to know and so little-

She jumped when he inhaled deeply, his face screwing up in confusion. After a moment, he held out his hand and before she could think about it, Luna offered her hand to him. He blinked at her curiously but lowered his head to sniff at the soft skin of her wrist. 

His eyes closed as his face twitched trying to sort something out. When they opened, the deep brown was soft and kind. He released her hand and simply watched her for a few stiff minutes.

“Who changed you?” he asked finally.

“I don’t know,” Luna answered.

“Will they claim you?”

“I doubt it.”

“How can you be sure?” he growled.

“He’s dead,” Luna said airly, remembering the violent crack of the beast's neck as it fell back from her stunner and hit the ground. “I killed him, though I didn’t particularly mean to.”

“I see.” The man stared at her another measure before nodding. “You are a strong little thing, Miss Lovegood, and quite special. I am glad to have met you.”

“I was hoping you’d answer some questions,” Luna responded. “If you don’t mind.”

“I do not,” the man responded. “But the sun is sinking and we cannot be here. Where were you going tonight?”

“Some of the silver fairies of the Lost Lake have offered to contain me.” Luna hummed, smiling as she thought of the beautiful wispy fae that had followed her through the woods, listening to her sing. 

“That will hurt.”

“I know,” Luna responded. The man stared at her before coming to a decision.

“You will come back with me. I think it may be where you belong… at least for now.”

00 0000000000 000000000

“You can always stay,” Rolf growled, watching her bid goodbye to the children of the village. They had no set parents, raised by the others cursed with their condition. When Luna had come she became a part of the pack and a quick favorite among the younger pups with her fantastical tales and gentle ways. To see her leave was more than they could understand and it made her heart hurt. 

“You know I don’t belong here.”

Luna smiled sweetly at Rolf, already missing his soft hands on her skin and his quiet words in her ear. She may have stayed for him, if not the fact he was Beta, and his father was growing old.

“You are an Omega. You belong everywhere and anywhere.”

“And if I stay I will want you,” Luna said, shaking off the last of the children. She rested a hand softly against his chest, leaning in to nuzzle her nose against his skin. “But that’s not my place.”

“Alphas can take multiple mates,” he growled, looping his arm around her back possessively. She smiled at his antics. He didn’t love her, not really. He wanted her because he wanted the idea of her. Alphas were possessive and fierce when presented with something they desired, particularly while young. To lose any pack member would be seen as a failure, particularly with how much he favored her while human.

“Can, but they eventually settle on one. And when you find her, you won’t be able to love me anymore and I will have to leave anyway. You already have your Omega and I still need to find my pack.”

“Luna,” he sighed into her hair, breathing in her scent. The moment reminded her of sunrises and midnights, dark mixing with light until all the lines were blurred. It wasn’t what they were born to be but it was what they were now. The creatures that walked in both light and dark and in doing so walked in neither. 

“I’m supposed to obliviate you,” Rolfe said tightly. “Our place here is so delicate and precious.”

“I’ll understand if you need to,” Luna responded softly. He sighed, resting his hand on her head. His fingers twitched but she didn’t feel the usual upwelling of magic she had learned to identify as singularly his.

“I can’t do it. It’s selfish but I want you to remember me… and your pack will need the knowledge.”

“Oh Rolf,” Luna sighed. “Memories are fleeting. They grow blurrier with each passing year.”

“I don’t want them to,” he growled, his voice hitching in his throat. “You are a part of me. A part of us. You’re pack, Starshine.”

“I’m not though. That’s the issue,” Luna breathed softly, shaking the male off of her. “But our paths will cross again, I can feel it.”

Rather than roll their eyes like she had become accustomed to her whole life, Rolf regarded her with barely disguised wonder. When she spoke of the feelings that came and went with the tides, the pack listened and heeded her words.

“I will see you soon Omega. Go and find your pack, then bring them back to show us.”

“I will,” Luna smiled softly, hiking her knapsack up on her shoulder. “I will see you again, I promise.”

Rolf simply nodded and stepped back, shoving his hands into his pockets as if to keep them from reaching out to stop her. He regarded her for a long minute before nodding his head, his smooth timber rolling through the air.

“Listen closely, your pack will call you home.”

And she apparated away.

000000000000000000000000

Luna landed in the forbidden forest, the leaves soft underfoot. She breathed in the cold scent of earth and fog, letting it over take her. 

_ Moon Child, _ Katya growled, melted out of the trees.  _ You’ve returned. Have you learned what you needed? _

“I have,” Luna smiled, turning towards the north. The castle’s bright towers glittered like stars against the setting sun, waiting for their turn to race across the sky. 

_ And? _

The peaceful silence of the forest was shattered by a howl, echoing across the trees. Rather than be afraid, the sound shook Luna's soul, calling to her as surely as the moon hung in the sky. 

Luna smiled and turned back to her old friend, resting her palm on Katya’s head a moment before she felt the first pull of the change.

“I’m home.”

  
  


**Author's Note:**

> Luna's note from her mother comes from the song my Ryn Weaver 'Traveling song'.
> 
> It is a beautiful song and I leave you with the final stanza in the hopes you'll go give the whole thing a listen.
> 
> On that very last day, he said  
> "Shoot for your dreams, little girl, to the stars"  
> Well, I'm taking you with me  
> Now this one is ours  
> And I know what you'd say, you'd say  
> "On with the show,"  
> So on we go.


End file.
